Moa Jamir
Nagaland’s ongoing battle with single-use plastics (SUPs) has taken on an almost theatrical quality. Over the past seven years, the government has launched at least four different restrictions on plastic use, each time with grand declarations of intent. Yet, to borrow from PB Shelley, like an “unloved guest,” SUPs remain a persistent problem.
Undeterred, the State Government is now making a fifth attempt to “evict” the guest by imposing a ban on SUPs and plastic bottles below one litre, effective August 1, 2024. This initiative follows a meeting of the Special Task Force (STF) on single-use plastics held on June 20, which issued a fresh round of directives and penalties.
The announcement echoes with a sense of déjà vu, as the language bears striking resemblance to the very first notification from November 29, 2018. The declaration aimed to tackle SUPs by restricting plastic bags and cutlery, including Styrofoam and thermocol plates. Government offices were also directed to cease using packaged drinking water bottles below 20 litres by April 1, 2019.
The ban was subsequently reiterated in the Official Gazette on June 17, 2019, under the ‘Policy for Restricting the Use of Plastics in Nagaland,’ with a purported start date of September 17, 2019. The goal remained consistent: to combat the environmental and ecological hazards posed by rampant plastic use. This was supposedly a continuation of the November 2018 notification, purportedly underscoring the State’s unwavering commitment to the cause.
However, despite these proclamations, enforcement has been notably lacklustre. In July 2022, Nagaland made yet another attempt to ban single-use plastics, in line with national directives, but with results that seemed to mirror previous efforts. Further reinforcement came in June 2023, driven by compliance with directives from the Central Pollution Control Board and the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate.
Incredibly, on paper, Nagaland has had a ban on polythene bags since January 1, 2004.
Despite such ‘noble’ intentions, effective enforcement and monitoring have been notably absent. The market is still rife with banned items, and awareness programmes, workshops, and seminars seem to have little effect.
Numerous awareness programmes, workshops, seminars, establishment of Task Forces across the Stateand other efforts, accordingly seems to have been wasted and largely futile. As a result, the general public remains either unaware or unclear about the ban. This is unfortunate because the successful implementation of any policy relies not just on stringent enforcement, but also on the active involvement of all stakeholders.
The State’s poor performance on various environmental parameters, including proper waste management, as reflected in the recent SDGs India Index 2023-24, further underscores the challenge. To add to the mix, faux alternatives for SUPs are reportedly flooding the market, complicating the issue further. Thus, while Nagaland Government has been busy crafting policies, the actual impact on the ground remains questionable.
It is evidently clear that a mere ban, no matter how bold, is not sufficient. For real progress, there needs to be a concerted effort involving not just strict enforcement but also the active participation of all stakeholders. The State Government must now demonstrate that this latest initiative is more than just a repeat performance of past failures. Else, the credibility of its environmental efforts will be seriously scrutinised, and rightly so.
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